An unexpected finish

This is one of my many ongoing never-ending medallion quilts. I do like making them because you can try out different things as you go. Medallions can have an unexpected vibrancy that block quilts don't always - perhaps because block quilts are generally planned out from the start. The only downside of medallion quilts is that you have to do more and more sewing for each border as you go out ... which is generally the point that my enthusiasm is drifting away.

So, with this quilt I did it a bit differently. I made a couple of dozen Ohio star blocks before starting the big blue centre square, so that when I reached the outer border it would already be done. And, naturally, when I went to put the star blocks on they looked terrible. Just completely wrong. So I made them up into a quilt on their own - queen-size once I'd done the sashing - hand-quilted it, and gave it to my husband's aunt and uncle for christmas. I wish I had a photo, but no.

This quilt languished for a couple of months, then I put the little star blocks around it. Which are cute. Then it languished for a year or two more, when I did the wavy bias strip border. And then I agonised over what to do next for a few more months before it was all "bugger this, just finish the thing". So I did - it's 60" square about, which isn't big enough for a double bed but excellent for a boy bed. Lightly machine quilted - the dark blue has big pebbles (more like stones really) and the rest is straight lines or ditch or echo, depending on mood.

My Dad is holding this up - it's a rare treat to have a nice tall man in the house during daylight hours. Not only is he doing wonders in the garden, but is handy for quilt photography! It's raining buckets today (first day of school holidays of course) so gardening isn't an option. Before photographing though he had to wrestle the boy out from under it. Could be a LONG two weeks.